I Married a Slave Instead of My Ex-husband

She exhaled sharply and paced in front of the door. Her hand twitched toward the handle, but she pulled back, thinking of Marian.

She hesitated. Stretched out her arm—then stepped away again.

She could almost feel Abel’s gaze, cold and piercing.

‘Damn him. I shouldn’t have let him in to begin with. Is this how he repays kindness?’

Still, the door would open by tonight. Tomorrow was the start of the main tournament. Marian’s honor wouldn’t fall over this. She wasn’t hurt. Rosette forced herself to believe it.

Unbeknownst to her, someone was watching. Leaning against the corridor corner, Better clicked his tongue.

‘……Why is that woman so obvious.’

That was exactly why Abel had told him to keep an eye on her.

‘Are you going to kill her?’

‘Actually, that’s my preference. Getting rid of things that bother me. But I think Marian would hate it.’

It wasn’t simple dislike—if Abel ever touched Rosette, it would shatter what he had with Marian. And Abel wouldn’t risk even that.

‘I won’t kill her. But once I have her weakness, it’ll be easy to tame her to be obedient.’

Rosette had the misfortune of catching Abel’s eye.

Better pushed off the wall and followed behind as she huffed away in frustration.

Meanwhile, Benjamin had spent the past week with Tia.

It was the last reprieve he’d gained. It was also the last mercy granted by the Empress. Benjamin stroked Tia’s hair as she lay in his arms. Benjamin’s eyes, lost in thought, dimmed painfully.

For a moment, as the price for looking away, Tia had lost her children and was withering away, unable to even eat. And now she would lose Benjamin too. Likewise, Benjamin would lose Tia and the children.

Benjamin had given up his children and Tia in exchange for keeping his position.

He pulled Tia closer into his arms. This was warmth he would never regain until he rose to a position higher than the Empress. Benjamin, too, felt like his insides would spill over. His eyes burned. He barely swallowed the tears he had shed secretly from her.

Benjamin buried his face in Tia’s hair and exhaled a hot breath.

When Tia woke up after a deep sleep, Benjamin wasn’t in bed. She put on a robe with her swollen face and came out to the living room. Benjamin was standing looking out the window. Somehow his back looked unfamiliar. Tia embraced him from behind.

She blinked slowly.

“Benjamin……”

As soon as she opened her mouth, tears poured out.

“Our children, they’re doing well, right?”

“……Of course.”

Benjamin answered in a low voice. They wouldn’t have killed them. Judging by the lack of contact so far, there must be another purpose. He didn’t know what they planned to do using those children, but……

‘You must not waver because of those children, Benjamin. If you waver, think of Tia. Think of your poor woman. I could kill that woman if I decide to.’

The Empress’s threat remained in his heart.

The Empress had an effective key in her hand to move Benjamin. In fact, it wasn’t that he hadn’t enjoyed himself with other women besides Tia, but Benjamin always returned to her. As if she was his final destination.

Tia was detached from reality. She lived without knowing anything under Benjamin’s protection. She was his comfort, no different from a warm nest. And now it was time to give that up.

“Tia.”

Benjamin slowly turned around. Tia looked up at him. It felt like his heart was being torn apart. Her face was wet with tears again. Benjamin wiped her face with his fingertips.

“……I have something to tell you.”

Her eyes widened. Benjamin smiled bitterly. Where should he begin and what should he say? He never thought such a moment would come.

He was on his way back after turning away from Tia who chased after him crying. Today was too long.

As much as his heart ached, Benjamin decided to become cold-hearted. He decided to direct his unhappiness toward Marian.

Had Marian been acting strange lately?

Since he had no interest in Marian at all, he had no idea how she was doing now. Marian was just Marian. The most useful weapon for the imperial family and Benjamin.

Benjamin glared at the Princess’s Palace with a cold expression. Marian was also a good target for venting. Not long after Benjamin lingered near the Princess’s Palace, his target came out of the palace.

“Bring that wench to me.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

It took less than five minutes for the knights accompanying Benjamin to bring Rosette, who had been walking with short steps. She had been exposed defenseless and was a powerless woman. Benjamin stared into her terrified eyes.

“It’s been a while.”

Benjamin smiled coldly. He couldn’t possibly not recognize this face that he encountered every time he visited Marian’s palace.

“Y-Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

Rosette bit her lip tightly. She remembered when she was forced to sleep with Benjamin. Thanks to that, Rosette had been able to provide food and medicine to Marian.

It was a clear transaction of giving and receiving.

But after Benjamin lost interest in her, there were no more such transactions. It had been about three years since then. Rosette bit her lip tightly.

“I would have come if you had called.”

“Perhaps you would have. But today, I’m not here to talk about fortunate things.”

“……Is there something you want from me?”

“Mother mentioned that Marian seems to have changed recently. I don’t know what that means, but you must know. If you have something to say, now is the time. Speak.”

Benjamin commanded arrogantly, his expression making it clear he didn’t believe a mere maid could possibly slip from his grasp.

Today had been too unlucky, too difficult.

Unaccustomed to failure or frustration, Benjamin needed someone to take it out on.

Seeing Rosette stubbornly keep her mouth shut, he smiled cruelly.

“Let’s see who wins between you or me.”

Benjamin raised his hand. Rosette gritted her teeth while watching the hand falling toward her. I’m not scared, I’m not afraid. This was all too ordinary.

But being human, she couldn’t remain calm. Rosette unknowingly closed her eyes tightly. The knights firmly held her who was struggling.

Only after venting his anger for a while did Benjamin withdraw his hand.

Seeing Rosette writhing on the floor, his mind seemed to clear a bit. Today’s misfortune and anger seemed to have transferred to that wench.

He spoke in a low voice,

“Do you feel like talking now?”

Rosette barely caught her breath. Perhaps because it had been a while since she experienced such treatment, it seemed to hurt more. Rosette barely held back her tears.

‘……Let’s sell him out.’

Such a thought occurred to her.

‘As long as Her Highness the Princess isn’t harmed.’

Rosette coughed up her breath.

He was someone she didn’t like anyway. He was a beast unworthy of Marian. Rosette rationalized this with her pain-soaked mind. All of this was for Marian, and it wasn’t betraying her but saving her.

Rosette moved her lips.

“……The heir of Drake is al-alive……”

“What?”

“Abel Drake is alive……”

It was at that moment—

“That’s enough.”

A cold voice dominated the room.

Rosette slightly opened her swollen eyes. She vaguely saw the face of someone who shouldn’t be here.

“This is why one should never let their guard down.”

Rosette shuddered at the chilling voice.

“I believe we had an agreement.”

The room’s temperature seemed to drop suddenly. Rosette struggled to get up. A loose button fell off and rolled on the floor.

Abel coldly stared at Rosette.

“……H-how……”

Rosette turned her head to look at the Crown Prince. She couldn’t believe that Abel, who should be hiding in the Princess’s Palace, appeared here. Rosette trembled.

The beast-like man appeared as if he had been waiting, enjoying Rosette’s betrayal. As if he knew this would happen.

The Crown Prince was frozen stiff. Everything in this room had stopped. Except for Rosette and the man. The man walked through the room like a predator. His hand brushed the Crown Prince’s cheek.

“What did you think would change by siding with this stupid bastard?”

“……”

Rosette gritted her teeth and glared at Abel. Why did God always arrange situations favorable to him? It should have been the opposite. Instead of Abel witnessing Rosette’s betrayal, Rosette should have witnessed Abel’s betrayal.

So that she could go to Marian and report Abel’s betrayal, making her drive him away.

Rosette trembled with anger.

“He heard my name, so what do we do?”

Abel tilted his head askew. He roughly grabbed the Crown Prince’s chin, then turned his gaze to Rosette.

She couldn’t move a muscle, like a mouse before a snake. Rosette stared at Abel with a stupid expression.

“Should I kill him?”

Rosette trembled. Abel’s aura violently surrounded her. A magical field that made it hard to breathe pressed down on Rosette. Her lips quivered.

She could see Benjamin’s pale face turning red as Abel’s power pressed on him.

“A-are you planning to kill him by bursting him?”

“I need to do at least that much to make you fear me and come to your senses.”

Abel coldly sneered.

“Ugh, guh……”

Benjamin let out a groan despite being unconscious. The blood vessels in his eyes were visibly bursting. Seeing his pupils rolling back, Rosette quickly prostrated herself flat on the floor.

“S-stop! I, I was wrong!”

Abel sighed and released his grip. Seeing Benjamin go limp, Abel knelt down.

He coldly stared at Rosette’s heaving back.